Back in the Saddle

We've had a streak of cold, wet, and snowy weather the past few weeks. That combined with Jeff being home put a bit of a kink in my regular horseback riding schedule. But, the sun and warmth have returned and Jeff is back at the office, so I'm jumping back into my breeches and boots and returning to the saddle.

I've had my first two rides this week since early December, and I have to say I'm quite pleased with Flame's performance (and attitude). I really expected some "badness" out of him after a lazy vacation, but he's picking up almost where we left off. I did hear that he didn't do very well for his owner over the break, and that's disappointing but expected. The greatest challenge with any animal training (and human training, too ;-) is making sure the trainee knows he/she has to behave, cooperate, and execute for everyone in authority, not just the trainer. I've seen parents go through this with kids, so maybe there are some good child-rearing tips I can find and apply!